The one which appears as the duality and disappears as nonduality is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.=

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the whole. The realization of the ultimate truth or Brahman is possible only when the seeker inquires into the nature of the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind.

The mind is present in the form of the universe, and the universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

The one that appears as the duality and disappears as nonduality is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not try to know who you are? By inquiring ‘Who am ‘I’, you will never reach the ultimate end of understanding. ‘Who am ‘I?’-inquiry is inadequate to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

Try to find out what this ‘I’ is that appears and disappears. What is it that knows this appearance and disappearance of the ‘I’?

Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say 'I'. If you feel the Self is the ‘I’, you are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

The universe is merely an illusion created out of consciousness. The water is the cause of the ice block. An ice block melts in the presence of heat and becomes one with the cause, which is the water.

In the same way, the illusory universe melts and becomes consciousness when the cause of the illusory universe is unfolded

Māyā:~

Maya, or illusion, is the most important contribution of Sage Sankara. Maya or illusion is that complex illusory power of the Atman (Soul), which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman.

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the dualistic illusion as a reality.

Maya, or the dualistic illusion, is present in the form of the mind (I). And the mind (I) is in the form of the universe. And universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (Nonduality).

The waking experience is real from the standpoint of the waking entity (ego). The waking experience is unreal from the standpoint of the invisible Soul, the Self.

The cause of the three states is consciousness (Brahman but consciousness itself is untouched by the profanity of illusion (Maya).

Dualistic Illusion (Maya) is temporary and is destroyed with Self-knowledge, or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Chandogya Upanishad: ~ “Whoever sees the Self in all does not see death, disease, or diversity. 

The Self is the invisible and unborn Soul hidden by the ‘I’.

The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind; therefore, ‘I’ is the mind.

The mind is present in the form of form, time, and space.

The form, time, and space together are the mind.

The duality is present only when the form, time, and space are present; therefore, the form, time, and space together are the duality.

The form, time, and space are present in the form of the universe; therefore, the form, time, and space together are the universe.

The universe appears as the waking or dream; therefore, the waking or dream is the universe.

The waking is a parallel dream, and the dream is a parallel waking.

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ “The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the invisible Soul, the Self, which is unborn, eternal.

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to realize that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the invisible Soul, which is the cause of the ‘I’, is the true Self. The invisible Soul is nondual, which is eternal.:~Santthosh Kumaar

Direct knowledge of Brahman cannot be obtained by a study of the holy books, Scriptures, philosophies, and theories.+

Panchadasi says: ~ "If a person cannot undertake the study into the nature of Brahman, either through a dull intellect or through want of accessories for such inquiry, he must be constantly engaged in the meditation on Brahman." The term accessories here means "the person who knows Brahman, i.e. Gnani.

Direct knowledge of Brahman cannot be obtained by a study of the holy books, Scriptures, philosophies, and theories. Holy books, Scriptures, philosophies, and theories all lead to confusion and contradiction because they are based on the dualistic perspective.

Whatever is based on the dualistic perspective is bound to be an illusion, because the duality is merely an illusion from the ultimate standpoint.

Swami Vivekananda: ~ “Advaita encompasses everything. Since Advaita requires heavy-duty intellectualism, it had to be progressively simplified. (From 'The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda)

Sage Sankara strongly advocated the study of Upanishads, and at the same time, cautioned that the study of Upanishads alone would not lead to moksha. In matters such as spiritual attainment, one’s own realization was the sole authority, and it cannot be disputed

Self-knowledge cannot be attained by the study of the scriptures and intellectual understanding or by bookish knowledge. Therefore, there is no use in studying the scriptures and other scriptures to acquire the nondual wisdom. That is why Bhagavan Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sage Sankara indicated that the ultimate truth lies beyond religion, the concept of God, and scriptures.

Sage Sankara, indicated in Bhaja Govindam, says: ~ “One without knowledge does not obtain liberation even in a hundred births, no matter which religious faith he follows.

Sage Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on Sruti, or revealed scripture. This may be because Sage Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus, in the idea of God, and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter. He believed that those of superior intelligence have no need of this idea of divine causality and can, therefore, dispense with Sruti and arrive at the truth of Advaita by pure reason.

The ultimate truth or Brahman does not become established by mastering the holy books, Scriptures, philosophies, and theories

Sage Sankara says the transparent truth of the Self, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman (Gnani)

It is not possible to realize the Advaitic truth without Self-knowledge, or Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnana. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana can be acquired by pondering over and over again upon the subject until whatever object one finds before he is seen as consciousness, which is Brahman. This must become so firmly rooted that he must have a firm conviction that the world in which he exists is nothing but consciousness. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sankara:- Neither sacred baths nor any amount of charity nor even Hundreds of pranayamas can give us Self-knowledge.+

Sage Sankara: ~ VC Neither sacred baths nor any amount of charity nor even Hundreds of pranayamas* can give us knowledge about the Self. The firm experience of the nature of the Self is seen to proceed from inquiry along the lines of the salutary advice of the wise. (13)

The obsession with "our sins" having been "washed away by the water of the river would be regarded as evidence of a serious mental illness in an individual within any sane society, but when this is an obsession of millions of people, it becomes "religious faith", held by many others to be something that should never be criticized.

It was desperately important for the believers of their belief system, for some reason, that others shared their beliefs because they assumed that their religious doctrine was literally true, and then justified their beliefs. After all, "God says so in their doctrine ".

It is no use arguing with someone who has faith in his belief system because for him, there can be no possible refutation of what he believes, so rational argument is entirely useless. He clings to his belief so strongly that he makes no distinction between the truth and his belief. One has to know the fact that God cannot exist without his existence. The truth does not depend on god's existence, but it entirely depends on man’s existence.

Thus, it is foolish to venture into knowing the truth of God's existence without verifying the facts about his own existence

Bhagavad Gita: ~ Even if you are the most sinful of all the sinners, you will cross all the sins by the raft of knowledge (IV-36)

Self–knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the inexhaustible wealth. Other wealth disappears as one spends, but with the Self–knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the more one shares more he gains.

The Self is not the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind. The origin of the mind is the invisible Soul. The mind is present in the form of the universe. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness. The root of the universe is consciousness.

Thus, saying ‘I AM God’ keeps one in duality. The duality is not reality. The duality is a product of ignorance. The body, ego, and the world belong to the ignorant.

When wisdom dawns, the ignorance disappears. When ignorance disappears, the duality will never be a reality; even though there is duality, it is merely an illusion created out of a single stuff. That single stuff is the invisible Soul which is present in the form of consciousness.

The invisible Soul is the Self. The invisible Soul is Self is God in truth. It is not “I AM GOD, but it’s correct to say ‘the SELF IS GOD because the Self is not the ‘I’ or ’I AM'. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is the only tool to unfold the mystery of the ‘I'.+

The main hurdle in his way of thinking is the fact that Sage Sankara did not claim to be an original thinker at all, and his philosophy took the form of commentaries on the generality of the scriptures, particularly the Upanishads and the Gita.

Sage Sankara was an independent thinker. His wisdom has not been taken seriously by many in India because most of the followers of Sage Sankara are religious orthodox.

It is that philosophy in India was for centuries more an exposition of the ancient classics than the independent thought of individual thinkers as in ancient Greece or modern Europe and America.

Sage Sankara and Sage Goudpada are independent thinkers; other schools of Indian philosophy are mere theologies. Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is the only tool to unfold the mystery of the ‘I'. The dualistic philosophy cannot escape the charge of dogmatism.

Intelligence and thought do not apply to Advaitism; intelligence and thought are based on the false self (waking entity) within the false experience (waking state). The whole Advaitic philosophy is an attempt to transcend the limitations of intelligence and thought.

The two points of view, A Gnani is not cut off from the experience of practical life within the practical world because Advaitic truth is neither realism nor idealism; it is beyond both these.

Sage Sankara said: - Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many Gods as you please, observe ceremonies and sing devotional hymns, but the liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

The Advaitic wisdom does not begin with the ultimate truth. Ultimate truth has to be proved, not assumed. Hence, so-called philosophers who take Brahman for granted are not philosophers at all.

Many Advaitin scholars will teach that all is yourself, but none of them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none can prove it. Rational proof is required so that one arrives at knowing the ultimate truth or Brahman, i.e., Gnana.

Theirs is mere dogma, parrotism, repetition of what they read in scripture. Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.

Sage Sankara endeavored to establish the Vedic religion, overthrowing Buddhism. But even he was not able to avoid the influence of Buddhism. The influence of the revolutionary atmosphere of Buddhism has reappeared in the Advaita of Sage Sankara. His inability to revive Vedic religion that flourished before the Buddhist revolution in its pure form is discernible.

Sage Sankara gave out what was of most use to the greatest number of people. Therefore, in the commentaries on the Upanishads, such as the famous Manduka upanishad he gave the highest nondual message of the identity of Atman and Brahman, revitalizing the philosophy and practise of Advaita, while in the commentaries on the Brahmasūtra he gave a lesser teaching, positing both higher and lower Maya and higher and lower Brahman (Ishvara) to explain creation for those of lesser intellects until they were ready for the highest truth.

Only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, negation of duality is possible. The invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Consciousness is the cause of the origin, maintenance, and dissolution of the universe in Advaita (i.e., non-dual); it means that consciousness transcends all conceptions, both positive and negative. Nothing positive can ever be imagined or said about it. Consciousness is existence absolute, awareness absolute. The existence absolute means that consciousness is not unreal or non-existent. And it is not unconsciousness. Nothing positive can be stated about consciousness.

The nature of the invisible Soul, the Self, is the non-dualistic awareness, indicating that the nature of the invisible Soul, the Self, is inexplicable, indescribable, and unimaginable. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

The ‘I’ itself is the illusory bondage because the ‘I’ itself is the cause of the ignorance.+

The ‘I’ itself is the illusory bondage because the ‘I’ itself is the cause of ignorance.

Only in ignorance, the Soul bound by the illusory experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

In reality, there is no second thing that exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

If the invisible Soul is free from the ‘I’, then it is free from ignorance.

If the invisible Soul is free from ignorance, then there is no bondage of form, time, and space. The bondage is present only when the ‘I’ is present.

When the invisible Soul is free from the ‘I’, then it is free from the bondage of form, time, and space.

If the invisible Soul is free from the bondage of form, time, and space, then it is free from the bondage of the universe.

If the invisible Soul is free from the bondage of the universe, then it is free from the waking experience.

If the invisible Soul is free from the waking experience, then it is free from the experience of birth, life, and death.

If the invisible Soul is free from the experience of birth, life, and death, then it is free from the dualistic illusion.

If the invisible Soul is free from the dualistic illusion, then it is in its own awareness.

A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ is needed.

Gnani can point at the sky, but the seeing of the star is the seeker's own work.

It is necessary to reflect on the same truth again and again till it becomes a reality. One needs to constantly reflect on the subject until one gets a firm conviction of 'what is what'. Words of wisdom are needed until one gets a firm conviction of ‘what is what’.

People need to read and hear the words of wisdom to think, reason, and reflect deeply and reach the ultimate end.

Swami Vivekananda: ~Jñāna Yoga is divided into three parts. First: hearing the truth--that the Atman is the only reality and that everything else is Maya. Second: reasoning upon this philosophy from all points of view. Third: giving up all further argumentation and realizing the truth. This realization comes from being certain that Brahman is real and everything else is unreal.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is truth’ and ’what is untruth’. It takes time for the invisible Soul, the Self, to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

All the Gurus glorified the ‘I’. Thus, it becomes very difficult to discard the ‘I’.+

All the Gurus glorified the ‘I’. Thus, it becomes very difficult to discard the ‘I’. Those who have accepted the ‘I-centric teaching refuse to accept anything other than their accepted truth.

Till you hold the Self as the ‘I’, your knowledge remains skin deep.

What is it that appears as the ‘I’ and disappears as the ‘I-less-? It is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not make the mistake of holding the ‘I’ as the Self because it is not permanent. ‘I’ disappears and becomes ‘I’-less.

‘I’ is an illusion, and the ‘I-less-Soul’ is real and eternal. The ‘I-less-Soul ‘appears as ‘I’ and ‘I' disappears as I-less-Soul.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ “The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

The ‘I’ hides the invisible Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of consciousness. The invisible Soul is the cause of the 'I'.

That is why Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘The permanent (consciousness) is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

People think the ‘I’ without the body is the Self. The seeker has to realize that ‘I’ is not the Self, but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say ‘I’, if you feel the Self is the ‘I’, you are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

Remember this:- “The ‘Self’ is not the ‘I’ but the Self is the invisible Soul, the witness of the ‘I’, which comes and goes.

There is nothing to realize other than realizing that you and the world in which you exist are created out of a single stuff, and that single stuff is the invisible Soul, the Self. The invisible Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, you and the world in which you exist are nothing but consciousness. Thus, by realizing this truth, the invisible Soul becomes free from the cage of the illusory form, time, and space. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar